For a lot of acts starting out, local live music pubs and bars offer no finer place to grow a fanbase and learn the art of live performance. PRS for Music sponsors the Music Pub of the Year category in The Publican’s annual trade awards. M caught up with some of the shortlisted music publicans to find out more about their showcase nights.
David Mundell: Inn at Lathones, Fife
‘We do about 120 gigs a year – mostly in Autumn, Winter and Spring. Any night of the week is a good night for a gig if the bar is busy. I do look for bands but mostly they come to us. I've been doing this for 12 years now so I get artists phoning up.’
David’s tip: If you’re performing original material - be original. Have a Myspace page and/or CD demo handy. Another resource I use is Sonicbids.com which has biogs, soundclips, video and contact information.’
Stephen Pyke: Bay Horse, Huddersfield
‘We have live music about once a week. One of our attractions is that we transform the pub into a theme - we've done The Hacienda, The Marquee, even a 50s drive-in cinema to reflect our band's music.
We know a lot of people who own pubs and we swap tips on good bands. We also run 'introducing' nights - often these bands are playing their first gig and we give them a platform. A friend owns a recording studio down the road and we get referrals from him.’
Stephen’s tip: Well-rehearsed bands are a must. If you perform your own material think about slipping a few covers in.
Jan Gale – The Coronation Tap, Bristol
‘We have music about three nights a week. In the beginning we approached a few bands – now they all want to play here!
We don’t have a stage, we don’t have a sound technician – it’s up close and personal, you can’t hide. What we’re offering is very special. Out of all the things we do at the Coronation Tap, music is the thing that gives me the real buzz. It’s a labour of love and I haven’t missed a gig.’
Jan’s tip: I get recommendations from trusted, experienced musicians and I always try to check out bands wanting to play here live. In the end I go with my gut feeling.
Top tip: Get to grips with social media and keep your contacts up to date. There are showcase slots up for grabs at the UK's trade shows, visit our National trade shows page to find out more.
David Mundell: Inn at Lathones, Fife
‘We do about 120 gigs a year – mostly in Autumn, Winter and Spring. Any night of the week is a good night for a gig if the bar is busy. I do look for bands but mostly they come to us. I've been doing this for 12 years now so I get artists phoning up.’
David’s tip: If you’re performing original material - be original. Have a Myspace page and/or CD demo handy. Another resource I use is Sonicbids.com which has biogs, soundclips, video and contact information.’
Stephen Pyke: Bay Horse, Huddersfield
‘We have live music about once a week. One of our attractions is that we transform the pub into a theme - we've done The Hacienda, The Marquee, even a 50s drive-in cinema to reflect our band's music.
We know a lot of people who own pubs and we swap tips on good bands. We also run 'introducing' nights - often these bands are playing their first gig and we give them a platform. A friend owns a recording studio down the road and we get referrals from him.’
Stephen’s tip: Well-rehearsed bands are a must. If you perform your own material think about slipping a few covers in.
Jan Gale – The Coronation Tap, Bristol
‘We have music about three nights a week. In the beginning we approached a few bands – now they all want to play here!
We don’t have a stage, we don’t have a sound technician – it’s up close and personal, you can’t hide. What we’re offering is very special. Out of all the things we do at the Coronation Tap, music is the thing that gives me the real buzz. It’s a labour of love and I haven’t missed a gig.’
Jan’s tip: I get recommendations from trusted, experienced musicians and I always try to check out bands wanting to play here live. In the end I go with my gut feeling.
Top tip: Get to grips with social media and keep your contacts up to date. There are showcase slots up for grabs at the UK's trade shows, visit our National trade shows page to find out more.
